The single most important thing that you can do for your baby is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. A well-balanced diet is one that includes foods from all food groups in appropriate amounts, so as to ensure proper nutrition. Proper nutrition ensures that all essential nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals and water) are supplied to the body to maintain optimal health and well-being. Good nutrition is essential for normal organ development and functioning; normal reproduction, growth and maintenance; for optimum activity level and working efficiency; for resistance to infection and disease; and for the ability to repair bodily damage or injury. While pregnancy is a normal alternative condition for the female body, it is stressful, and all nutritional needs are increased in order to meet the needs of the pregnancy.

Dr. Tom Brewer found through more than 30 years of research that each day, pregnant women need a well-balanced, high-quality diet that includes 80 to 100 grams of protein, adequate salt (to taste), and water (to thirst), as well as calories from all of the food groups. The World Health Organization recommends that a pregnant woman eat a minimum of 75 grams of protein per day, but protein is just a marker for a nutritious diet. It must be obtained from a wide variety of whole food sources in order to get all of the important nutrients a woman needs during pregnancy. While the government’s food pyramid is a good example of a well-balanced diet, pregnant women need more protein and calories in general. This means including:

While this may seem like a lot of food, it will supply the 2000 to 3000 calories needed per day to make a healthy baby.

A study conducted at Harvard University found that by eating at least 75 grams of protein per day, pregnant women could prevent diseases of pregnancy such as preeclampsia (metabolic toxemia of late pregnancy). During pregnancy a woman’s blood volume increases as much as 40 to 60 percent, and in order to reach this necessary level and maintain it, a woman’s body needs adequate protein, salt, calcium, potassium and water from her diet. In April of 1996 the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article indicating that calcium may also help reduce the incidence of preeclampsia. Other recent research indicates that pregnant women need adequate folic acid (a B vitamin) to prevent neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. The Food and Drug Administration now recommends that breads and pastas be fortified with folic acid to ensure that all women of childbearing age get enough of it. Four hundred micrograms of folic acid a day is recommended. This can be obtained by eating whole grain breads, citrus fruits and dark green leafy vegetables.

As long as junk food and excessive sweets (sugar) are avoided, or kept to a minimum, weight gain should not be an issue. The diet listed above (or something similar) should provide all of the necessary nutrients, and a woman should have little problem obtaining everything she needs. A "whole food" is one that is unprocessed and is as close to its natural state as possible. While vitamin supplements are very popular these days, there are risks to taking supplements of certain vitamins while pregnant (i.e., vitamin A), and others are simply poorly assimilated (i.e., calcium or iron). The B vitamins, for example, must be taken in congress (B complex supplement), as absences, insufficiencies or excesses of one or another can cause problems. Check with your care provider before taking anything while pregnant. Vitamins and minerals should be obtained from natural, whole sources whenever possible, to ensure quality and proper assimilation by the body. A qualified nutritional expert should assess special dietary needs.

Cravings for foods are common in pregnancy and, in theory, can indicate a need or deficit in a diet. Cravings for healthy foods can be indulged, but cravings for non-food substances such as clay or laundry starch, a condition known as "pica," can be harmful and should be reported to your care provider.

Milk, eggs and other dairy products are inexpensive sources of calcium and protein. For those who are vegetarian, or simply to provide variety in an omnivorous diet, soy products, beans and nuts can be substituted. Dark green vegetables provide carbohydrates, water, bulk fiber, vitamins A, C, and B, calcium, iron, and magnesium; the darker green, the better. It is best to eat these vegetables raw whenever possible, but steaming or baking will also retain most of the nutrients. Citrus and berry fruits provide a great deal of vitamin C, and yellow fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupe, sweet potato, carrots and mango are good sources of vitamin A. Both of these vitamins are important for fighting infection, boosting the immune system, cell structure development and preventing placental detachment (abruption). Zinc is another important mineral for pregnant women, as it aids in supporting the immune system. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, zinc also helps to improve birth weight and certain aspects of fetal development.

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Iron Needs and Pregnancy:

Iron supplements are an easy way to remedy iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy, but some women find them hard on the stomach. If you experience difficulties, consider supplementing with carbonyl iron which is naturally regulated by the body and may be easier to digest.

While a vegetarian diet is a good, healthy choice when well balanced, vegetarians do have to work harder to obtain all the protein needed to increase their blood supply. If a woman follows a strict vegan diet, it may be even more difficult to get the necessary protein, but it is possible with diligence. See the supplemental reading list for sources of information on this subject.

Trained and certified as a Bradley® Method Childbirth Educator in 1995, Amy Haas’ educational history includes a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Plattsburgh State University of New York. For the past six years she has taught Bradley® classes to pregnant families, empowering them to make healthful decisions. Amy’s article, "How to Stay Healthy and Low Risk during Pregnancy and Birth" appeared in the Winter 2001 issue of Having a Baby Today. The original version of this article was shared through The Rochester Birth Network.

Vegetarian option
(In place of cheeses or added to above for a larger batch)

16 oz firm tofu

1 can of black beans

Chop garlic finely. Wash, de-stem and chop spinach. Grate cheese. Place one tablespoon of olive oil in skillet, heat and add garlic, cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add spinach, cook 1 minute until wilted. Add ricotta and 1/2 of the grated cheese and mix together. Turn off heat. Let mixture stand. If using tofu, crumble and season well. If adding black beans, rinse first and add to tofu and/or ricotta. Add tofu/cheese and beans to spinach mix and blend well.

To assemble: Hold a flour tortilla in one hand and fill with mixture. Roll and place each enchilada into a greased 9" x 13" pan. Top with salsa and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and enchiladas are warmed through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Approximately 18 grams of protein per enchilada with black beans; 15 grams protein per enchilada with cheese or tofu only; 409 mg of calcium in the cheese version.

1 cup prepared Cha Cha Chili from Fantastic Foods (or other low-fat chili with beans and yes, I put the chili on hot, it doesn’t make the greens wilt too much) Note: Cha Cha Chili is a magnificent fast food for anyone who needs lots of protein and fiber.

3 tablespoons fresh salsa

This provides 5 to 6 servings of fresh vegetables, 18 to 20 grams of protein (add cheese, cooked meat or hard boiled egg for even more protein) and exactly the kinds of fats needed. It also provides most of the daily requirement for fiber, lots of iron, calcium (even without the cheese) and other important nutrients.

This is a large meal, but not a heavy or particularly fatty one. I estimate that without avocado it has only about 7 grams of fat, mostly from the corn chips. Use Beano and Super Papaya enzymes if you have trouble with gas from any of the ingredients.

Using the same salad base, one could do a similarly nutritious salad with any number of ingredients. For example, one could add canned salmon for a hit of Omega 3 fatty acids and calcium (leave the bones in, they taste good!) or a hard-boiled egg and some good quality olives.

This makes a great lunch anywhere you have access to boiling water and a fridge.

Submitted by Jennifer Rosenberg

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